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Washington State Department of Licensing v. Cougar Den Inc.

139 S. Ct. 1000 · Decided March 19, 2019 · Supreme Court of the United States

Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.

At a glance

Washington State Department of Licensing v. Cougar Den Inc. was decided on March 19, 2019 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote the opinion announcing the judgment of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indians, state jurisdiction” in the Civil Rights area.

Read the opinion

Case details

Citations
139 S. Ct. 1000 · 203 L. Ed. 2d 301 · 2019 U.S. LEXIS 2086
Docket number
16-1498
Decided
March 19, 2019
Argued
October 30, 2018
Court era
Roberts Court
Decision type
Judgment of the Court (orally argued)
Disposition
Affirmed
Outcome for petitioner
The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
Vote
5–4
Majority opinion
Stephen G. Breyer
Opinion assigned by
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
How the case arrived
Certiorari
Issue area
Civil Rights
Legal provision
Treaty
Type of law
Other
Decision direction (SCDB)
Liberal what this means

How the Justices voted

JusticeVoteSeparate writing
Justice Clarence ThomasDissent
Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgSpecial concurrence
Justice Stephen G. BreyerJudgment of the CourtWrote an opinion
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.DissentWrote an opinion
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.Dissent
Justice Sonia SotomayorMajority
Justice Elena KaganMajority
Justice Neil M. GorsuchSpecial concurrenceWrote an opinion
Justice Brett M. KavanaughDissentWrote an opinion

Full case caption

Washington State Department of Licensing v. Cougar Den Inc.

SCDB identifiers: case 2018-013, docket 2018-013-01.

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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error